Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Tlie Murder of Gedcdiah by Tshmael. JEREMIAH XLI, XLII. The Jews ana Johanan Inquire of God slew . . . not—(Proverbs 13. 8.) Ishmael's avarice and needs overcame his cruelty. 9. because of Gedaliah rather, "near Gedaliah," t'l'z., those intercepted by Ishmael on their wa.v from Samaria to Jerusalem, and killed resents the burden of the service to the ChaUleans as falling on him, whilst fhey may freeljgather their wine, fruits, and oil. He does not now add tliat these very fruits were to constitute the chief part of the tribute to be paid to a« Jtfi2prt/i, where Gedaliah had lived. So 2 Chronicles IT.
Babylon : whicli, though fruitful in corn, was less produc Mve of grapes, figs, and olives. [Herodotus, 1. 193.] The grant of " vineyards" to the "poor" (ch.3(l. 10) would give hope to the discontented of enjoying the best fruits {v. 12).
1.5, "next;" Nehemiah 3.2, Margin, lit., as here, "at liis hand." " In the reign of Gedaliah." [Calvin.] However, English Version gives a good sense: Ishmael's reason for killing them was because of his supposing them to be connected with Gedaliah. 10. the king's daughters—(Cli.
II. Jews... In Monb—who had fled thither at the approach of the Chaldeans. God thus tempered the severity
43.6.) Zedekiali's« Ishmael must have got additional followers (whom the hope of gain attracted), besides those who originally set out with him {v. I), so as to have been able to carry off all the residue of the people. He proljabli' meant to sell them as slaves to the Ammonites (ch. 40. 14, Note). 11. JoJianan—tlie friend of Gedaliah who had warned him of Ishmael's treachery, but in vain (ch. 40. 8, of his vengean<'e tliat a remnant might be left, 13. In the ficlrts—not in the city, but scattered in the country
7). • 1*. Baalis—called from the idol Baal, as was often the case in heathen names. Ammonites—so it was to them that Ishmae! went after murdering Gedaliah
(ch. 41. 10). slay—lit., strike thee in the soul, i. e., a deadly stroke. Islimnel—being of the royal seed of David (ch. -11.
13). la. the . . . waters ... In Gibeon—(2 Samuel 2. 13.) A large reservoiror lal<e. Gibeon—on the road from Mizpah to Ammon: one of the sacerdotal cities of Benjamin, four miles north-west of Jerusalem, now El-jib. 13. glad —at the prospect of having a deliverer from their eaptiv-
1), he envied Gedaliah the presidency to which he thought himself entitled; therefore he leagued himself with the ancient heathen enemy of Judah. believed . . . notgenerous, but unwise unsuspiciousness (Ecclesiastes 9. 16). 16. tliou spen Uest falsely—a mystery of providence that God should permit the righteous, in spite of warning, thus to rush into the trap laid for them! Isaiah 57.1 suggests a solution.
14. cast aliont—came round. 10. men of war—" the men of war," stated in v. 3 to have been slain by Ishmael, must refer to tlie military about Gedaliah's person ; " the men of war" here to those not so. eunuchs—the kings of Judah had adopted the bad practice of having harems and eunuchs from the surrounding heathen kingdoms. 17. dwelt—for a time, until they were ready for tlieir Journey to Egypt (ch. 42). habitation of Chimham— his caravanserai close by Bethlehem. David, in reward for Barzillai's loj'alty, took Chimham his son under his patronage, and made over to him his own patrimony in the land of Bethlehem. It was thence called the habitation of Chimham (Geruth-Chimham), though it reverted to David's heirs in the year of jubilee. Caravanserais (a compound Pcman word, meaning "the house of a company of travellers") differ from our inns, in that there is no host to supply food, but each traveller must carry with him his own. 18. afraid-lest the Chaldeans should suspectall the Jewsof i)eing implicated inlshmael's treason, as though the Jews sought to have a prince of the house of David {v. I). Their better way towards gaining God's favour would have been to have laid the blame on the real culprit, and to have cleared themselves. A tortuous policy is the parent of fear. Righteousness inspires with boldness (Psalm Si. 5; Proverbs 28. 1).
CHxVPTEB, XLI.
Ver. 1-lS. IsnMAET Murders Gedaliah axd other.s, TJIEN FLKES to the AMMONITES. JOHANAN PURSUES Him, Recovers the Captives, and Purposes to flee TO Egypt for Fe.vr of the Chaldeans. 1. seventh month—the second month after the burning of the city
(ch. .')2. 12, 13i. and the princes—not the nominative. And the princes came; for the "princes" are not mentioned either in the next verse or in 2 Kings 25. 23: but, " Ishmaol being of the seed royal and of the princes of the king." [.Maureii.J But the ten mere were the "princes of the king:" thus Maurer's objection has no weight: so
Enfili-ih Version, eat bread together—Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, by whom he was hospitably received, in violation of the sacred right of hospitality (Psalm 41. 9). 2. Blew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor—This assigns a reason for theirslaying him, as well as showing the magnitude of their crime (Daniel 2. 21; Romans 13. 1). slew all the Jews—namely, the attendants and ministers of Gedaliah; or, the military alone, about his person, translate, "even (not nnd, as Enc/lih Vern'o«)the men of war." The main portion of the people with Gedaliah, including Jeremiah, Ishmael carried away captive (v. 10, 10). 4. no man knew it i.e., outside Mizpah. Before that tidings of the murder had gone abroad. 4. beards shaven, ic—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city, cut themselves
CHAPTER XLII.
Ver. 1-22. The Jews and Johanan Inquire of God, THROUGH Jeremiah, as to Going to Egypt, Promising Obedience to His Will. Their Safety on Condition of Staying in Judea, and their Destruction IN the Eventof Going to Egypt, are Foretold. Their Hypocrisy in Asking for Counsel which ti Iey Meant a heathen custom, forbidden (Leviticus 19. 27, 28; Deuteronom.v 14. 1). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen Intoheathen practices, offerings—unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to. not to Follow, if Contrary to their Own Determination, IS Reproved, a. Jeremiah—he probably was one of the number carried off" from Mizpah, and dwelt with Johanan (ch. 41. 16). Hence the expression is, "came near" {v. 1), not "sent." Let . . . supplication be accepted— JiC, fall {Note, ch. 36. 7 ; 37. 20). pray for us—(Genesis 20. 7 ; Isaiah 3". 4; James 5. 16.) thy God—(v. 5.) The Jews use this form to express their belief in the peculiar relation in which Jeremiah stood to God as His accredited prophet. Jeremiah in his reply reminds them, that God testify their piety, house of . . . Lord i.e., the place where the house of the Lord had stood (2 Kings 25. 9). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred. [Papinian.] Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, sint-e it was at Shiloh it originally was set up (Joshua 18. 1). 6. weeping—pretending to weep, as they di<l, for llie ruin of the temple. Come to Gedaliah—as is thf;ir God, as well as his {"your God"), as being the covenant people (u. 4). They in turn acknowledge tliis in v. 6, "the Lord our God." few of many—as had been foretold (Leviticus 26. 22). 3. They consulted Ood, like many, not so much to know what was riglit, as wishing Him to authorize what they hart already determined on, whether agreeable to His will or not. So Ahab in consulting Micaiah (1 Kings 2'2. 13). Cf. Jeremiah's answer (v. 4) witli Micaiah's (1 Kings 22. 14). 4. I have heard i. p., I accede to your request, your Gf>d— being His l)y adoption, ye are not your own, and are bound to whatever He wills (Exodus 19 5, 6; 1 Corinthians 0. 19 547
If he was oneof (Jedaliah's retinue. 7. and cast them Into ...pit-he had not killed them in the pit (cf. 9) ; these words are tlierefore rightly supplied in Enr/Ush Version. the pit—the pit or cistern made by Asa to guard against a want of wal<'r when Baasha was about to besiege the city (f, 9. 1 ; 1 Kings 15. 22). The trench or fosse round the city. [(Jrotics. 1 Ishmael's motive for the murder seems to have been a suspicion that they were coming to live under Gedaliah. 8. treasures— it was customary to hide grain in cavities underground in troubled times. "We have treasures," which we will give. If our lives be spared.